try-outs

[Mzz Jonezz]

Hi everybody,
I am a a huge fan of roller derby and am planning on going out for the tryouts next time my local team has them. Can anyone give me the basic idea of how it works for the fresh meat? Also can anyone give me an idea about the average time a team practices a week? I have a five year old and have to schedule around her. Thanks!

[Frag Doll]

Well, it differs for every team, but our "tryouts" consist of testing stability, stopping, and speed. It's mainly to get an idea of the potential player's strengths & weaknesses and give them an idea of the time & money commitments required. We have them do some laps, plough stops, try to T stop, step while wearing skates, and practice derby stance. Our league has three 2 hr practices a week, of which we are required to attend at least two. In addition, though we recently disbanded committees, each person must also help plan events and bouts, as well as attending.

[Mzz Jonezz]

Thanks frag doll. I'll make sure to include all that in my training. What about when u get on the team? I'm assuming you don't get to bout right off the bat , just in general and from what i've read here. how do u guys determine when a player is ready to go in? I appreciate all the info. =-D

[Kerry Crawford]

Our tryouts allow recruits to come practice with the league for a few weeks until they're "cleared" to test. The test consists of stopping, falling, hitting, timed laps (20 in 5 minutes, 5 in 60 seconds), and agility. It's not difficult. I recommend trying to find the WFTDA skills test online and working up to that.

[Jackie]

Kerry is right. We use the skills assessment which is on the WFTDA web site. It's a good tool for try outs, and you can use these in practice to get the girls ready (if you have a rec league). That's my 2 cents!